Hillsborough Community College employs competent faculty members qualified to achieve our educational mission and goals of the institution and gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the teaching discipline.  There are several methods used to ensure the hiring of competent faculty for their respective academic disciplines. 

Acceptable Qualifications and Documentation

Acceptable credentials for all HCC faculty are outlined in the Faculty Credentials Operations Manual (FCOM). The manual was developed according to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' faculty credentialing requirements with input from appropriate HCC faculty and administrative personnel. Further, the manual was submitted to the HCC Academic Affairs Committee and all faculty for review. Oversight of the FCOM is the responsibility of the Faculty Credentials Committee. The Faculty Credentials Committee makes recommendations for updating the FCOM to HCC's Chief Academic Officer, who then submits approved manual modifications to the HCC Cabinet and then to the College President for final approval.

Faculty teaching all General Education courses and courses for transfer must hold  master’s degrees in the respective teaching disciplines or master’s degrees plus 18 earned graduate credit hours in the teaching disciplines. Faculty teaching non-transfer courses must hold bachelor's degrees in the respective teaching disciplines or  associate’s degrees with demonstrated competencies in the respective teaching disciplines. Official transcripts and documentation of demonstrated competencies are required for faculty credential verification and kept on file in the Human Resources (HR) Department of HCC.   

In some cases, such as industry specific computer courses, industry mandated certification may be substituted for the 18 earned graduate credit hours requirement (transfer courses) and may be considered demonstrated competency in the teaching discipline (non-transfer courses). In some disciplines, such as those in the Health Sciences, HCC faculty members are credentialed according to national and/or State accreditation body instructor requirements. In these instances, documentation of professional licensure or certification is required in addition to official transcripts indicating the highest degree earned and are kept on file in the HR Department.   

The FCOM outlines procedures for faculty members to qualify for instructional assignments through portfolios. In these rare cases, qualification by portfolio requires extensive documentation of directly related accomplishments in the field of study and demonstrated teaching excellence. This documentation is kept on file in the HR Department.

Faculty Selection Process

Hillsborough Community College Campus Deans fill new and replacement faculty openings by evaluating program and college needs and forwarding position requests to their Campus President, who in turn forwards approved requests to the College President.  If approved, the College President forwards the request to the HR Department.  HR staff members then review the position’s requirements and advertise the faculty position accordingly both internally and externally; external advertising is done both locally and nationally.  Applicants are directed to apply online by filling out  HCC's Electronic Employment Application and providing position qualifying information and unofficial college transcripts.  The applicant pool is then reviewed by the HCC Equity Office.  If the pool is approved by the Equity Office, the applications and supporting materials are forwarded to the respective campus Faculty Screening Committee (FSC) for evaluation and review. 

Each campus' FSC is appointed by the respective Campus Dean and Campus President.  The Equity Office also reviews the FSC membership.  The FSC establishes appropriate screening criteria, reviews and evaluates the applicant files, reviews and evaluates applicant transcripts, selects appropriate applicants for interviews, and conducts interviews.  During the interview process, applicants are required to perform teaching demonstrations.  The FSC evaluates all candidates according to the established criteria and selects and recommends the three top applicants to the Campus President through the Campus Dean.  The Campus President makes the final decision as to which of three recommended applicants are hired, based on applicant qualifications and College needs.

Upon hiring, the selected applicant must submit all official transcripts to the Campus Dean.  The Campus Dean conducts a review of the transcripts, considering the courses to be taught, and fills out a Faculty Transcript Evaluation Form.  The official transcript and Faculty Transcript Evaluation Form are forwarded to the Campus President for approval.  The Campus President forwards these documents to the Director of the Associate of Arts Program or the Director of Technical Programs as appropriate.  For detailed Faculty Evaluation Process see the Faculty Credentials Operations Manual.  The Director reviews the documents and forwards approved packages to the HR Department.  The HR Department then conducts a criminal background check and forwards successful candidates' packages to the College President and HCC District Board of Trustees for final approval.

This faculty selection procedure is the same for part-time faculty, except that part-time faculty applicants are identified and recommended by Deans and/or Program Managers.